


Invisible String

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Album: folklore (Taylor Swift), Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Growing Up Together, Inspired by Taylor Swift, M/M, Rating May Change, Song: invisible string (Taylor Swift), mentions of past bullying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 12:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25849744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: In which Ben Solo’s childhood friend may very well be his soulmate — after a few false starts.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Kudos: 4
Collections: Darkpilot Creator Breakdown, Darkpilot Songbook, The Darkpilot Library





	Invisible String

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Based on the song “invisible string” by Taylor Swift.

_1998_

Ben was seven years old when he met Poe Dameron. 

He was on the playground at Amidala Elementary, trying to catch up on _The Fellowship of the Ring._ The green grass, the golden fall leaves — it was like something out of a Tolkien novel in and of itself. Ben wondered if living in Naboo, Virginia was a lot like living in the Shire. Ben had been born in Chandrila, but his parents had moved out to Naboo after his mother had gotten a job there. 

Mom worked. All the time. 

It was something that Ben wished didn’t happen, at least in terms of Mom being upset a lot. She came back home from work, typically upset with shadows under her eyes and a faint, trying-to-be-reassuring smile that Ben knew was like a mask. 

The tree bark was comfortable against Ben’s back. Even as Ben thumbed through his book, he watched the other kids running and playing, shrieking like...maybe happier Ringwraiths? Ben didn’t know what Ringwraiths sounded like. 

”Hey. This tree taken?”

Ben usually would have flinched at someone coming up beside him. Usually it was Brendol Hux, one of his classmates, trying to cause trouble. But the male child who sat next to him wasn’t Brendol. He had golden-bronze skin, and curly black hair, and he was dressed in an orange windbreaker. 

”Don’t...think a tree can be taken,” Ben said. “So...you can sit with me.”

It was at least good to have company. He couldn’t describe it, but somehow around this child (who looked to be around his age) he just had a feeling that he was safe. 

Just a feeling. 

”I’m Poe,” said the child. He was grinning, cheerful and open. “Poe Dameron.”

”Ben Solo.”

”Nice to meet you, Ben,” Poe said. “What are you reading?”

”Just a book.” Ben couldn’t help but shy away at least a little. Brendol made fun of him, of course, just for being more of a reader than a fighter. Ben couldn’t say he saw the appeal of beating someone up, though. After all, why would you fight someone who couldn’t fight back? 

”Oh, that’s a cool cover!” Poe exclaimed. “Is that a fantasy book?”

”Yeah.” Ben was at least slightly encouraged, at least by the fact that Poe thought it was cool. His voice grew more steady. “It’s about these guys. Hobbits. They’re fic-shun-al creatures, and they’re on this mission to defeat a bad guy who has this ring...”

”Wow!” Poe exclaimed. “That’s so cool! Why would you be afraid of that?”

”Well...”

”Nobody better mess with you,” Poe said. “No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

They talked. Somehow, Ben just felt comfortable around Poe, even though they’d just met. 

They talked about their family. Poe talked about his dog, BB, and his mother. “She’s a writer,” Poe said. “I’m gonna be like her one day.”

They had to head in, of course, when the whistle blew. Still, Ben thought, it was nice seeing someone who was nice to him too. 

***

He told his parents about Poe then when they picked him up. His mother smiled, clearly exhausted but happy for him in that weird way that grown-ups had. “That’s lovely, Ben,” his mother said. “You know, you could invite Poe over to your house for a play date. It could be fun.”

”Yeah.” Ben took a deep breath. “It would.

***

It was at night that Ben was already exhausted. Exhausted, and ever wondering if he would ever meet his soulmate. Daddy said that there was a soulmate out there for everyone. “Everyone,” he said. “Even people like me.” Mommy had smiled, and told him not to talk like that, and kissed his cheek. Ben certainly hoped so. There was something about him that just felt out of place among other children. Something odd. 

And Poe...he was just as out of place as he was. Ben simply knew. There was something in his eyes. He didn’t know about soulmates. At least, he hoped that there was someone for him out there. Anyone at all. 

Even the weird ones had to belong somewhere. 

Ben sat against his pillow, taking out a book on Greek mythology and beginning to read. Some would call him weird. Some would call him extraordinary. It was one of those things where Ben was flattered by the latter type of attention, but at the same time, it was overwhelming. One wouldn’t think that being considered smart was a burden, a bad thing, but still...Ben felt it nonetheless. 

He read through, bizarrely fascinated by the story of the Greek gods overthrowing Cronus, at least until he felt his eyelids growing heavy. He found, in times like this, that reading was good at making him go to sleep. 

Even as he closed his eyes, he found that he could see a thread of gold winding through his dreams, and it seemed that no matter how he tried to chase that gold thread, like the yellow brick road in _The Wizard of Oz_ , it seemed like it was ever out of reach. 


End file.
